Roswell, New Mexico: How The CW's Reboot Compares to the Original Series

Nearly two decades after Liz, Max and the rest of the Roswell gang touched down on The WB, the beloved characters are returning for another close encounter, this time via The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico. So, how does the reboot compare to the original series?

Premiering Tuesday (9/8c), the new series — which is also based on Melinda Metz’s Roswell High books — bypasses adolescence and introduces us to the characters as young adults, even if their emotional selves are stuck in high school. (And would you expect anything less from a show on The CW?) New Mexico‘s drama begins when Liz Ortecho, whitewashed as Liz Parker in the original series, returns to her hometown and serendipitously reunites with her childhood crush Max Evans, now a sheriff’s deputy (and a secret alien).

For the most part, the bones of the story remain the same — you’ll see Liz back in her waitress uniform, along with updated versions of characters like Isobel and Michael, etc. — but bringing Roswell into 2019 also means incorporating timelier world events and scenarios. For example, New Mexico‘s Liz is the daughter of undocumented immigrants living in a town with a growing rate of race-related crimes. The world of Roswell, New Mexico reflects the world in which it takes place; Liz even mentions that she returned home as a result of her latest project losing federal funding because “someone needs money for a wall.”

It should also be noted that Roswell, New Mexico has many of the original series’ cast member’s seals of approval. In fact, Shiri Appleby (aka Liz Parker) even directed the ninth episode of the show’s first season.

Browse our gallery to see how some of the original series’ characters stack up against their rebooted counterparts — you can click here for direct access — then drop a comment with your thoughts below: Will you go down with this ship, or will you put your hands up and surrender?